Base-ball game.



G. M. STEELE.

BASE BALL GAME.

APPLICATION FILED OCT. 17, 1913.

1,1 13,504. Patentd Oct. 13, 1914.

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UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE,

CHARLES H. STEELE, OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS.

BASE-BALL em.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented oct. 13, 1914.

Application an October 17, 1913. Seria1:No.795,649.

a full, clear, and exact description thereof,

reference being had to the accompanying drawings, and to the letters ofreference marked thereon, which form apart of this specification.

This invention relates to an improved game apparatus and moreparticularly to a game apparatus for playing the game of base-balladapted for indoor use.

By the use of a game apparatus as hereinafter fully described I proposeto produce a game inimitation of an actual game of base-ball as it wouldbe played out of doors between two contesting teams, to provide forpractically every play or contingency that might occur in actual play,and to inject the element of chance into the game to such a degree as tomake the outcome uncertain and hence keep the contestants in a constantstate of excitement during the progress of the game.

Briefly set forth my invention provides for a miniature playing field ordiamond upon a board or table. Each contestantthere being preferably twoin number-is provided with a set of nine counters or men,

representing a team and each counter thereof representing a player ofthe team. A plurality of schedules are provided, there being preferablyeight in number. Each schedule corresponds to a condition that mightarise when one of the teams is at bat. Each schedule contains aplurality of numerals or combination of numerals, each consisting bypreference of three digits, each numeral having a corresponding legend,indicating a possible contingency that might occur during the time oneof the players is at bat, and while a runner or runners of the same teamare on the bases) A set of dice, preferably three in number, isused. Thedice when thrown exhibit a combination of numerals upon their upperfaces which according to a predetermined sequence will correspond to asimilar combination upon any one of the schedules. By referring to theproper "schedule, determined by the circumstances'of play at the time,the counters are moved according to the particular condition called forby the schedules,

and thus the batsman may be called out on strikes or may make a hit, andthus become a runner, and upon the next play to be advanced put ou oreven score at the home plate. The game proceeds according to the rulesof the game of base-ball as played out-of-doors, and the success orfailure of the contestants being entirely dependentupon the element ofchance accompanying the'throwing of the dice.

My invention, therefore, consists in the novel features herein describedand more particularly pointed out in the appended claim.

In the accompanying drawingsFigure 1 is a plan view of the game boardshdwing the playing field thereon and the arrangement of the schedules;Fig. 2 is a view in end elevation of the game board showing the mannerin which the same may be folded; Fig. 3 is a view in elevation of thegame pieces used in playing the game; Fig.4 is a perspective view of thedice used in the game; Figs. 5 and 6 are views of portions of two of theschedules embodied in my invention showing the arrangement of the same.

Referring to the accompanying drawings,

a clear understanding and manner of playmg the game may be had from thefollowr-ality of heavy cardboard sections joined at their adjacentmargins by a flexible material as cloth or canvas, in order that thesaid sections may be folded upon each other when the game apparatus isnot in use, and likewise to be spread out upon the table or some otherflat surface when in use. The central section 11 of the game board ispreferably rectangular in shape and has upon its upper face thereproduction of a playing field and diamond 12, similar in shape andproportion to the outdoor diamond. Upon either side of the centralsection 11 are a plurality of smaller sections 13, these beingpreferably four in number, arranged in pairs flexibly connected to theopposite side margins of the central section and with each other. Eachof the said sections 13 is, by preference, of a width one-half that ofthe central section 11, so that the said smaller sections may be foldedupon each other and thence upon the central section 11, as shown in Fig.2, thus permitting the game board to assume a convenient size when notin use a Open the smaller sections 13 are printed or attached'in anysuitable manner the before mentioned schedules, hereinafter fullydescribed,- and arranged upon the sections 13 in any convenient manner,although they are herein illustrated as arranged so that two schedulesshall appear upon each of the sections 13, the schedules on each sectionbeing in vertical relation.

.Referring now more in detail to the nature and arrangement of theschedules, the same are, as hereinbefore mentioned, preferably. eight innumber, each being suited to 7 provide for one of the several playingconditions that may occur. Thus one of the schedules 15, (Fig. 5) ismarked None on bases, which means that no runner has succeeded inreaching any of the bases. Such a condition obviously would exist at thebeginning of an inning or when the succeeding batsmen have been put out,prior numeral or combination corresponds to the number of dice used inthe game, and the value of the digit corresponds to the number of spotsor indicia appearing on the upper faces of the dice when thrown.

The-dice 14 used in the game are prefer- A ably of the usual formcomprising cubes of equal size, having a number of spots or indiciaranging from one to six upon each of the six faces o'r sides thereof. InView of the fact that the dice are similar in size and appearance, it isobvious that at each throw of the dice several different numbers orcombinations of digits might be obtained. It would be impossible toprovide a contingency or play fori every possible combination of digitsthat might appear bythe throw of the dice, and even assuming that such athing were possible, it would permit the contestant selecting any one ofa number of possible plays. To avoid this difiiculty and permit but "onepossible combination of digits and consequently but one play to beobtained at a single throw of the dice, the spots or indicia a pearingupon the dice are grouped in a di erent sequence after each throw. Bypreference this sequence is such that the lowest indicia obtained by thethrow of the dice is the first digit of the combination, the secondlowest indicia the second digit, and the highest indicia appearing uponthe faces of the dice the last digit of the combination. Thus, if the 5,6 and 3 appear on the upturned faces of the dice, when the same arethrown, by followin the above arrangement the combination of digits orthe number obtained would be 356 and none other. In like manner, if twosimilar indicia appear upon the dice, together with an indicia of higheror lower value, the two similar digits thus obtained would be combinedand appear before or after the remaining or odd indicia thrown,depending on whether the similar digits were of a higher or lower valuethan the said remaining digits. Thus if the digits 3, 5, 3 appear whenthe dice are thrown, the combination would obviously be 335 and noneother. On the other hand, if the remaining or odd digit proved to be 1,the combination ob tained would be 133 The series of numbers orcombination of digits appearing upon the schedules are arranged tocorrespond to the definite sequence hereinbefore pointed out withreference to the throwing of the dice. Thus the said series of numberson the schedule comprises only such digits as would accord with thedefinite sequence selected. To illustrate, if the digits 5 6 3 werethrown by the dice the proper number or combination of digits would asbefore be 356, which would correspond to the number 356 upon theschedules, the same being the only number thereon to which such acombination would refer.

Having described the method ofobtaining the combinations of digits bymeans of the dice and their relation to the series of numerals upon theschedules, the latter will now be described in detail.-

The top of each of the eight schedules 15, 1c, 17, 1s, 19, 20, 21, 22,(Fig. 1) bears one of the captions or headings as follows: None onbases, Runner on first, Runner on second Runner on third, Runners onfirst and second, Runners on second and third and Bases full. Thesecaptions indicate the eight possible conditions of play that might occurin the .period during which either side or contestant is at bat. Beloweach of the captions or on each schedule is a series of the numbersrepresenting all of the possible combinations of digits-obtainable uponthe dice according to the sequence hereinbeforedescribed. The saidnumbers are preferably arranged in vertical columns and each number isfollowed by the designation of a possible contingency or play that mayoccur While the atsman is at bat. For instance, referring to Fig. 5,which represents a portion of the schedule None on bases the number orcombination of digits 112 indicates a single which would mean that thebatsman has hit the ball and has reached first base without being putout. Likewise the number 556 on this same schedule indicates Out at 1st;that is, that the batsman having hit the ball has been put out at firstbase.

Similarl the words Fly out following the num er 114 onthe same schedulemeans that the batsman has hit a fly ball which has been caught, thusputting him out. In addition to indicating the performance of thebatsman a number may also indicate what takes place on the bases in theinstance that a preceding batsman or batsmen are on the bases. This maybe illustrated by referring to Fig. 6, showing the schedule markedRunner on first, on which appears the number 123 followed by the wordsSingle. Runner out at third, indicates that the batsman made a hitenabling him to reach first base safely and that the runner on firstbase has been put out attempting to reach third base upon the hit of thebatsman. It is to be understood, however, that the schedules differ inarrangement in that each emticular schedule. -The. schedu es" arecomposed as near as possible in accordance with o quently throughout theschedule. Similarly,

if a batsman is able to make a safe hit, the

value of this hit, which depends on the number of bases he is able tomake upon the hit, is repeated on the schedules in proportion to thevalue of the hit. Thus the word Single, meaning a hit good for one base,may occur several times. The word Double, meaning atwo base hit, wouldbe repeated preferably but a few times and the word Triple and Home run,meaning a three base hit. and a complete circuit of the bases,respectively would, for instance, appear still less frequently.

' In addition to recording a particular play with reference to thepossibility of its occurrence relative to the total number of plays thatoccur during a game, the numbers corresponding to the several plays arearranged according to the laws of chance in the throw- 55 ing of dice;that is, the play or contingency that in all likelihood would occur theleast number of times during an actual game would correspond to a numberindicating a combination of. indicia of the dice which 6 occur the leastnumber of times. To illuscafi dicated 6s, a. triple by three braces onlysuch plays as would occur in an actual playing conditions as regards thePS, a double by three 47s, and so on. In like manner, the plays thatmore frequently occur would be indicated by combinations or numbers moreusually obtained in the throwing of the dice.

In addition to the game-board and the schedules hereinbefore described,I provide a plurality of counters or men :23 and 24. These counters arepreferably eighteen in number and may be of any desirable shape,although illustrated in Fig. 3 as of a convenient shape resembling thepawn, commonly used, in the game of chess. These counters or menmay bedivided into two sets of nine, each set representing a contesting teamand each counter a player thereof. Each set of counters is preferablydistinguishable from the-other set in some suitable 1 manner, such asbeing of different colors as represented by the counters 23 and 24 in'Fig. 3. Furthermore, the counters indicatbe arranged with suitableblank spaces to record the runs made by the teams in each running hereinillustrated,-or arranged to record the runs of the individual playersthus enabling the contestants to keep what is known as a box'score Inthis manner a record of the games played may be preserved. p

The game is usually played by two persons, each representing acontesting team although it may be played by more than two persons. Twopersons are each provided with nine of the counters or men, properlyindicating a team. The persons or contestants then decide which oneshould start the game, that is to bat first. This may be decided in anysuitablemanner such as by the tossing of a coin or throwing of the dice.The player obtaining the privilege of starting the game places one ofthecounters or men upon the square indicating the home plate of thediamond represented upon the game board, and then proceeds to throwcombining the digits represented by the in- (licia appearing upon theuppermost faces of the dice, in the manner hereinbefore described, anumber is obtained corresponding to a like number upon the schedules.The player now refers to schedule having the heading None on bases forsuch is obthe three dice in the customary manner. By

viously the condition at the commencement of the game. He then moves hiscounter as indicated by the play corresponding to the number orcombination of digits. For example, should the number referred toindicate a fly out, the player would remove the counter from the homeplate to a convenient place, as the spots 25 upon the game board 10,(Fig. l), to indicate the cuts, for the words Fly out would mean thatthe counter or batsman has hit a fly which has been caught by a playerof the opposing team, thus putting the player out. Under suchcircumstances the same player puts another counter on the home plate andproceeds to throw the dice again referring to the schedule None onbases. Let it be assumed that upon referring to the schedule thecombination of digits, for instance 123, (Fig. 5), indicates a single,that is, a hit entitling the batsman to proceed to first base. Theplayer will then move the counter to first base and repeat the operationof throwing the dice to obtain the combination of digits necessary todetermine the next play? Upon so doing, the schedule marked Runner onfirst will be referred to, in View of the preceding play which resultedin. the placing a runner on that base. Should the number upon the saidschedule call for Fly out, the batsman would obviously retire from batand the runner on first base would remain on that base, the countersbeing positioned accordingly. Again if the number should indicatea.double, that is a two-base hit, the runner on first base would scoreat the home plate and the batsman proceed to second .base, or, ifthe number indicated-only a single, the runner on the first base would proceedto second base or third base according to the play specified and thebatsman would be entitled to reach first base, and the-counters would bemoved to corresponding positions. Now,

with runners on first base and second base,

or on first and third base, as the case may be, the player again throwsthe dice, referring to the schedules Rurmers on first and second orRunners on first and third according as the .circumstances of the gamedictate. The player or team continues to stay in bat until three outsare registered player or team having the greater number of runs at theend ofthe game being the winner. The runs, hits and errors may be, ifdesired, recorded in the same manner as in an actual game of base-ball.

The play is usually exciting during the entire game owing to the mannerin which the schedules are arranged, hence the game reproduces asclosely as possible what would actually occur in a contest between twoevenly matched teams in real life.

A game apparatus embodying the fea tures of my invention not onlyprovides a source of amusement to those having an intimate knowledge ofand interest in the game, but forms a means whereby the novice mayobtain a knowledge of the game.

Obviously the game apparatus embodying the features of my invention'maybe variously modified, as for instance in the arrangement of theschedules or the number of dice employed without departing from thespirit of the invention. For that reason I do not wish to be limitedexcept in so far said schedules embracing a plurality of designations'of plays under a definite situation of the base runners, said playdesignations .having distinguishing indicia, and chance controlledindicating means having indicia corresponding to the indicia associatedwith the play designations. V

In testimony that I claim the foregoing as my invention I afiix mysignature in the presence of two witnesses, this 13th day of October, A.D. 1913.

. CHARLES M. STEELE.

Witnesses;

' EUGENE C. WANN,

MAURICE D. HERMAN.

